Mar 7, 2018 1:03 PM

What's Inside: Tide Pods

That squishy, swirly pocket of goo looks delicious, but we promise you pressure-packed soap is not tasty.

This image may contain Ice Outdoors and Nature

01
Fatty Acid Salts
Otherwise known as soap. It works by attaching its hydrocarbon chain to the grease or oil in a clothing stain, allowing both to be washed away by water.
02
Polyvinyl Alcohol
This stuff forms the film that holds the rest of the ingredients in a jolly, candylike form.

03
Denatonium Benzoate
The bitterest known substance was added in 2015 to strengthen the outer layer and discourage kids from eating pods. (We all know how that worked out.)
04
Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetate, Sodium Salt
Say that five times fast. This molecule softens your wash water, which enables enzymes to work more effectively.

05
Calcium Formate
Enzymes will devour each other over time or become denatured when exposed to heat, but this substance is added to ensure they’re still around when you need them.
06
Mannanase
This enzyme breaks apart guar gum, a thickener used in ice cream and salad dressing that can leave behind hard-to-remove stains.

07
Disodium Distyrylbiphenyl Disulfonate
DDD (or "triple D," if you’re a hey-fellow-kids kind of scientist) absorbs ultraviolet light and emits it in the visible range, providing a faint blue glow that counteracts the natural yellowing of old clothes.
08
Subtilisin
All the dead skin cells you leave on your clothes are toast because of this protein enzyme, which breaks down your bodily grime.

09
Alcoholethoxy Sulfate
As with soap, one end of the molecule binds to grease and dirt that’s stuck to your clothes; the other binds to water molecules in the washing machine. Agitation helps lift the stain off fabric and down the drain.
10
Amylase
These enzymes attack starch-based stain like those from gravy and baby food. So next time you spill mashed potatoes on your shirt, you know you’re covered.

TopicsAMP Stories

What's Inside Triple-Action Mace? Chili Peppers and UV Dye

When you push the button, nitrogen shoves a pungent, debilitating cocktail out of the canister.

Chelsea Leu

What's Inside a Magical Grease-Lifting Cleaner

K2r spot-lifter erases greasy stains with a delicate balance of chemicals.

Chelsea Leu

What's Inside: Vodka

Ethanol Vodka, by definition, is ethanol cut with water to at least 80 proof (40 percent purity). Despite its common sobriquet of “potato juice,” it’s actually pretty hard to make it from spuds—the tuber tends to produce more methanol (poison) than grain feedstocks, requiring additional distillation. More often, commercial vodkas are fermented and distilled from […]

Patrick Di Justo

Catnip Ain't the Only Plant That'll Send Your Kitty to Blissville

Three other plants tweak your feline's neurons.

Nick Stockton

Inside the Magically Mundane Lab of a Nobel Prize Winner

Ben Feringa is a pioneer in nanotechnology, and this is his world.

Laura Mallonee

This Is the Kitchen Composter I’d Buy Now

Reencle has made your favorite kitchen composter cheaper—with a few compromises.

Kat Merck

Our Favorite Dyson Tech Is on Sale for Dyson Week

Dyson’s sale event is happening now, and you can save up to $300 on vacuums, hair tools, and more.

Nena Farrell

Microplastics React With Water, a New Study Says. That’s a Problem for Biology

Though plastic is usually inert, tiny pieces of it have the potential to react with one of the most pervasive molecules in the environment and in our bodies.

Jorge Garay